California Secrets. Jules Bennett

the open ballroom. Without a word, he reached behind him and slid the doors closed, the smack of the wood echoing through the room.

      “You love every second of my touching and looking.”

      That throaty tone sent shivers through her.

      “We’re having a baby,” she stressed, as if he didn’t already know. “You said yourself that changes things between us.”

      “It changes the timeline,” he stated, reaching for a curl and wrapping it around his finger. “It means we’ll be part of each other’s lives forever. But it sure as hell doesn’t change anything else.”

      Harper tipped her head and stared up into those bright eyes. She could get lost in them, and on several nights, she’d done just that. There was something so powerful and mysterious about Ethan that she’d never been able to put her finger on. She’d wondered what brought him here, what kept him here, and now she really wanted to satisfy her curiosity.

      Before she could dig deeper into this man who’d swept into her world and turned it upside down, he eased down and captured her lips. Ethan slid one hand through her hair and the other hand over the small of her back, pressing her body into his.

      The response was instantaneous as the familiar tingle swept through her. Harper gripped his biceps, just trying to hold on to some sort of stability. This kiss was no different than the others. Every one created an arousing sensation that slithered from her head to her toes and made her knees weak.

      Ethan spun them until her back came in contact with the wall. Wedged between two rock-hard surfaces, Harper arched against Ethan’s chest as his lips traveled from her mouth down the column of her throat. She tipped her head to the side, giving him more room to work even as a niggling voice in the back of her head kept telling her all the reasons she shouldn’t be doing this.

      Harper really wished that voice would shut up and just let her enjoy the moment. Ethan’s hands bustled up the skirt of her maxidress. That voice grew louder, telling her to put an end to the madness.

      “Need you now,” he murmured against her ear. The warmth from his breath sent even more shivers coursing through her.

      There was a clatter as something fell to the floor and tapped the side of her foot. She ignored it.

      Then ringing sounded through the room. She ignored that, too, because Ethan’s talented fingertips cruised along the edge of her panty line and silently promised delicious things.

      The annoying ring persisted.

      Her cell.

      “Wait.” Harper pressed her hands to Ethan’s chest. “My phone.”

      “Leave it,” he demanded.

      She pressed a bit more until he muttered a curse and took a step back. Her dress fell back around her legs and she tapped her pockets, frantically searching for her cell before realizing it had fallen to the floor. Harper grabbed the phone and turned away from Ethan before she managed to control her shaky hands enough to look at the screen.

      Of all times for this call.

      “I have to take this,” she stated over her shoulder.

      Without another word, she walked toward the wall of windows and accepted the call. Her hands shook and her body still hadn’t caught up with the fact there was nothing fabulous on the verge of happening right this minute.

      “Hey,” she answered, trying to catch her breath. “I’ve been wondering when I’d hear from you.”

      “I’ve been a bit busy,” her father said. “But I just boarded my jet and wanted to touch base. My assistant mentioned you wanted to change some things from the original design.”

      “I do. In fact, I sent not only the new ideas but a new budget.”

      All correspondence for the renovations was supposed to go through her father’s second in command. She didn’t ask why—Harper was just glad to have the job.

      “Good work,” he praised. “I’ll take a look at everything, but I trust your decisions. I’ll have my assistant get with you about the new materials so you will be ready when your crew arrives. She mentioned next week sometime?”

      “That’s right,” Harper confirmed. “I can’t wait for you to see my vision.”

      Harper glanced over her shoulder, not surprised to see Ethan staring back at her. She turned her focus back toward the window.

      “And when are you coming exactly?” she asked.

      “Soon,” he promised. “But I want you to go ahead and get started. Bring in however many people you need, and I’ll okay the budget. I know I wanted to approve everything, but I simply don’t have the time and I believe you’ll do right by my resort.”

      A thrill shot through her at the idea of starting to bring her vision to life in a matter of days. After months of waiting, wondering if she could live up to her sister’s vision and hopes, now was Harper’s chance to prove to everyone, especially herself, that she was worthy of this position her sister had trusted her with.

      “Everything else going smoothly?” he asked. “I trust your upgraded suite and the staff are nothing short of perfection.”

      “Oh, yeah. Everything is fine.”

       I’m just pregnant by a virtual stranger from a heated fling, but that shouldn’t hinder my ability to choose paint swatches and lighting fixtures.

      “I can’t wait to see you,” she said, smiling and wanting happiness and excitement to come through in her tone. “Hopefully soon.”

      “Hopefully,” he repeated in a monotone voice. “I have to run. My assistant will be in touch.”

      He disconnected the call, and a little twinge of sadness clipped her heart. He didn’t seem excited to actually see her, only concerned with the renovations. Granted, he’d gone over two decades without having a child, so she had to cut him some slack. Carmen had a different father and had actually had a relationship with him.

      But Harper had been in Robert’s life for several years now, and he still hadn’t fully embraced fatherhood like she’d hoped.

      Especially now, she wished he’d be a little more...well, just a little more. Anything would give her hope they might eventually get to a loving relationship. Was he even capable of that?

      She knew he’d been married years ago, but his wife had passed unexpectedly. Since then, Robert had remained single. Maybe that death had made him wary of further relationships. Maybe if she reached out to him in that regard, by listing their commonalities, perhaps then he’d open up a little more.

      But since their first meeting, he’d been distant. They’d randomly meet up for dinners when he came to town or he’d call once a month to check in, but she usually got the impression he was doing so because he felt he should and not because he actually wanted to.

      “Everything all right?”

      Ethan’s question pulled her from her thoughts. Harper spun around and forced a smile.

      “Fine. That was just my father.”

      No need to mention her father owned the resort. Ethan didn’t strike her as the type looking for money, but it was still best to keep some things to herself for now. Besides, it wasn’t like she was some kind of heiress. She wasn’t expecting anything from Robert—except for the chance to build some kind of emotional connection.

      Another chime sounded through the room, and this time Ethan pulled his cell from his pocket. He glanced at the screen, sighed, then shook his head.

      “I need to deal with this,” he told her. “Come to my room tonight.”

      That potent stare from several feet away was no less powerful than when he touched her bare skin with those big, strong hands. He always made her feel delicate...something